Apple Trees

Part Two

"So, Yuu," Asahi begins after I've removed myself from his oversized sweatshirt. He looks at me across the kitchen table as he stirs the dough together in a bowl. "What was it you wanted to tell me?"

"When?" I ask, scrubbing a soapy bowl in the sink.

"A while ago, when we were at the garden. You looked - you looked worried, and asked to come home with me, but you never - never said what it was."

I can't help but laugh. "You brought it up on your own. We talked about the night you left the volleyball club, remember? I didn't need to say! And..." I look over my shoulder at Asahi, a little embarrassed. "You really helped me. I feel better about it, now."

He looks back down at the dough and blinks, a small smile spreading across his face. "I remember. I'm glad."

I smile, too.

~•°•°-----------------------°•°•~

Two Months Ago

"Yuu..."

I jump and turn to Asahi. He lies on his back on his bed, eyebrows furrowed. "What is it?"

He sits up with a grunt, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just... I feel like you're still worried about that night. And even - even if you aren't, I still want to say this; so just... let me, okay?"

I draw my legs up under myself, sitting cross-legged in his chair, and nod. "Okay."

Asahi flushes a little, but seems determined to speak. "That day... I - I was scared. I was scared that I would never be able to spike again. I was scared - I was scared that I would let down the team. Or that I wasn't a real ace. Or that, because w - we didn't win against Date Tech, that we wouldn't succeed as a team.

"I would never be able to - to say this to Daichi, because he'd shut me down without letting me say anything. And Suga... I don't know. But you were there. I - I affected you the most.

"I was scared of all those things, Yuu, but most of all, I was scared of letting you down." He pauses, glancing up at me.

Biting my lip, I will my eyes to stay dry, as my hands fidget in my lap. I turn for a moment and grab the rubber figurine from beside his monitor. Then I turn back to him, squeezing it repeatedly and making the eyes bulge outwards.

Asahi takes a deep breath and continues. "I was scared that I would make all your connections with the ball useless. You work so hard to get it back in the air for the spiker, and... I was scared that I would let you down.

"And now, Yuu... I still worry that I'll mess up a spike. But I also know that - that we have the whole team supporting us. You may say you have everybody's backs, but we all have each other's. So no matter what, we're still a team. We're all going to - going to make mistakes, and we all know that we have to forgive each other - and ourselves - for them.

"So... you don't have to worry so much, okay?" Asahi finishes, looking up at me before his eyes widen.

Through the haze of teary eyes and a massive grin, I see him rise to his feet and scoop me up. The fidget toy falls to the chair and I hug him, hard, my legs wrapped around his waist and my nose buried in his long, golden brown hair. His arms support me, looped under my thighs.

"Thank you," I mumble into the side of his head.

~•°•°---------------------°•°•~